Shaggy Mice May Hold Key to Cure for Baldness

A protein being investigated by scientists could open up new ways of tackling cancer, ageing - and baldness.

Scientists say that activating the protein produced rapid hair growth in mice.

They believe it could lead to new treatments for disorders associated with tissue injury, ageing and cancer.

The protein, known as TERT, is a key component of telomerase, an enzyme that adds DNA to the tips of chromosomes and helps cells proliferate.

TERT is activated in 90 percent of human cancers. The new study showed that in skin, it can activate dormant hair follicle stem cells, resulting in "shaggy" mice.

This process was distinct from its previously known role of adding caps, called telomeres, to the ends ofchromosomes. Manipulating TERT could open up new avenues for developing therapies, suggest the researchers, led by Dr Steven Artandi, from Stanford University in California.

They wrote in the journal Nature: "These data.. suggest new strategies for manipulating TERT for therapeutic purposes in treating disorders associated with tissue injury and ageing."

The fact that TERT promoted rapid hair growth in mice also raises the prospect of baldness cures